A GUIDE TO THE 
LOCAL HISTORY OF 
BROOKLINE, MASS. 




A GUIDE TO THE 
LOCAL HISTORY OF 
BROOKLINE, MASS. 



PREPARED BY THE HISTORY COMMITTEE 
OF THE BROOKLINE EDUCATION SOCIETY 

1897 






" No acquisition made by the school-boy rivals in importance 
the growing consciousness of his connection with the community 
life about him, where service is the supreme law of good citizen- 
ship. Rightly educated, he recognizes this law and becomes a 
valuable member of society." 



3ift 
^^B 2 6 1925 



The Riverdale Press: C. A. W. Spencer. 



I- 

I 



PREFACE. 

The following Guide to the Study of Brookline History was 
originally undertaken by the History Committee of the Education 
Society in response to a request from the teachers of the third 
primary grade. As the work developed, however, the attempt to 
limit its scope to the needs of any particular grade was abandoned, 
and the resolution formed to make it simply a suggestive outline 
and bibliography which, on the one hand, might serve as a basis 
of study for all grades, from the primary to the high school, while 
on the other hand, it depended for its value chiefly upon the ability 
of the teacher to expand it and to adapt it to the needs of her 
particular pupils, 

The committee has attempted to furnish (i) a brief but compre- 
hensive outline of facts ; (2) suggestive notes upon the elaboration 
of certain topics, together with various unanswered questions, 
planned to test the pupil's reasoning powers, or the results of his 
individual research and observation ; (3) as complete a list of refer- 
ences as possible, including not only all accessible articles upon 
Brookline history, but also some of the more valuable works upon 
New England life in general. 

The Guide will have failed in its purpose, however, if through its 
terse and dry statement it conveys the idea that the history of 
Brookline is anything less than the rich, varied, picturesque tale 
of one of the most interesting of New England towns. The Guide 
is a bare skeleton. Thorough knowledge, vivid imagination, power 
of graphic presentation, are indispensable to clothe this skeleton 
with life. 

As in the thought of the boy all roads lead from his home out- 
ward, so it is hoped that a careful study of local history and local 
conditions will lead the mind of the pupil out toward the broader 
history and the more difficult problems of the nation and of the 
world. 

Brookline y Mass., Jan. 20, 1897. 



A GUIDE TO THE STUDY OF 
BROOKLINE HISTORY. 



A. Geography. 

I. A detailed study of present and past physical conditiofis. Give 
lessons from the hill-tops; point out particular hills, valleys, 
streams, ponds, swamps, meadow-lands, woods, bays. {e. g. Locate 
Parker Hill, Jamaica Pond, Muddy River, Smelt Brook, the Long- 
wood peat and clay beds, the Back Bay, the old Mill Dam, etc., 
etc.) Reproduce the same on the sand table. Call attention to 
changes of physical features due to grading for new streets, drainage 
of swamps, erosion of hills {e. g. Parker Hill). 

IL Direction lessons. Direction of Boston, Cambridge, Newton, 
the Charles River, Boston Harbor, the State House, Bunker Hill, 
Blue Hills, Dorchester Heights, Lexington, Concord. 

in. Study of political map. Explanation of map symbols for 
rivers, hills, streets, etc. Draw outline maps and locate hills, ponds, 
principal streets, public buildings. Bound the town. 

B. Geology. 

(Follow outline prepared for the elementary schools and base 
instruction upon field lessons.) 

Q. What is the most common rock in Brookline ? 

A. Puddingstone. 

Q. Where is it found .' 

A. In ledges, or detached masses, or boulders. 

Q. Where can it be studied to the best advantage ? 

A. At the Parker Hill quarry, or at any well exposed outcrop ; 
€. g. back of the Lincoln School. 

Q. What are some of the interesting features to be studied at 

the ledges ? Crosby's Guide 

A. The stratification, the dip, and the joint cracks. pp- 189.195.263. 

Q. Of what is puddingstone made ? 



Q. Whence came the material of which it is made ? 

A. From the waste of older rocks. 

Q. What agency shaped and assorted the material ? 

Q. What shows this ? 

Q. What other rock of similar origin is found in Brookline ? 

A. Slate. 
Crosby's Guide Q. How does it differ from puddingstone ? 

Q. Where is the slate to be seen ? 

A. In the railroad cuts near Reservoir Station and a short dis- 
tance beyond the Chestnut Hill Reservoir pumping-house. 

Q. Which rock is uppermost in the last mentioned ledge, the 
slate or the puddingstone ? 

A. The slate. 

Q. Which was deposited first ? 

Q. Where on a modern beach do we find the coarsest material ? 
The finest .'' 

Q. Which of the two rocks we are considering was deposited in 
shallow water ? In comparatively deep water .-' 

Q. What, then, may we infer from the position of the slate and 
the puddingstone .-' 

A. That there have been oscillations of the land surface above 
and below sea level. 

Q. What are some of the interesting features of the slate ledge ? 

A. The shaly structure, the plant-like markings, or dendrite, on 
the thin plates of the rock, and the ripple marks sometimes found. 

Q. What is the puddingtone used for ? 

A. For building purposes. 

(Note. — The early settlers, who used it for the underpinning of 
their houses and for their large chimneys, at first broke up the 

Memorial Hist, boulders instead of quarrying the rock from the ledges. Why ? 

of Boston p. 4, 'pj^g j^g^ bridges in the Parkway, which are made of selected 
puddingstone, show the great beauty of the rock. The slate was 
very commonly used in those days for gravestones.) 

Q. What other varieties of rock are found in Brookline } 
Judd's A. Volcanic rocks, and, in the glacial drift, granite and other 

crystalline rocks brought from a distance by the ice. 
Q. Where are the volcanic rocks found ? 
Crosby's Guide A. In ledges in the upper part of the town (on Hammond street 

pp. 43, 47, 172,, ^ 

176, 181, 212. for example), and in dikes, as in Clyde Park. 



Q. How are the volcanic rocks distinguished ? 

A. By their dark color and crystalline structure. A common 
variety (melaphyr) is green in color and full of steam-holes, showing 
that it was a surface sheet of lava. The dike rock (diabase) rapidly 
weathers and disintegrates. 

(Note. — Small dikes may be seen at Parker Hill. The largest 
dike of this immediate vicinity is back of the Country Club House. 
The glacial drift abounds in fragments of volcanic rock brought by 
the ice from the Brighton ledges.) 

Q. What do the last mentioned rocks tell us of Brookline's 
remote past ? 

A. They prove to us that this region was once a place of violent 
volcanic action. 

(Graphic descriptions of Kilauea and Vesuvius will help to make 
real this interesting period of the town's history.) 

Q. What use is made of the volcanic rocks ? 

A. The most enduring varieties are used for repairing the roads. 

Q. What are other interesting geological features of Brookline ? 

A. The numerous reminders of the great ice age. 

(The teacher should give several lessons upon the Ice Age, Wright's ice ^ 
explaining the glacial theory and exhibiting photographs of existing icf?\Vork""^^ ^ 
glaciers.) Xy"'^^"'/,!, . 

° ' . Forms of Water 

Q. Mention some of these. Crosby's Guide 

A. The boulders in the fields, the drumlins and the great ^^' ^' 
blanket of glacial drift, which covers the northern and eastern part 
of the town. 

Q. What are drumlins ? 

A. Oval-shaped hills of drift material. 

Q. Which of the Brookline hills are drumlins ? 

A. Corey, Aspinwall, Fisher, etc. 

Q. How are drumlins formed ? 

A. No satisfactory explanation has been given. 

(For various theories, see Wright's Ice Age.) 

Q. Why are they attributed to the glacier ? 

A. Because of the material of which they are made and because 
the direction of their longer axes coincides with the direction in 
which the glacier traveled. 

Q. What reveals the course of ilie glacier ? 

A. The striations on newly uncovered ledges. 



Q. Where may these be seen ? 

A. On the ledges at Parker Hill and on the roches moutontiees at 
the base of Babcock Hill. 

Q. What is the direction of these scratches ? 

Q. How did the glacier influence the early history of Brookline ? 

A. It determined the main routes of travel, for the first roads 
passed between and around the drumlins, and the place where 
these roads converged, \"illage Square, became the site of the 
- present village. 

Q. What else may be credited to the glacier ? 

A. The great natural beauty of the place, to which it owes its 
pre-eminence as a residential town, is laro^ely due to the irregular 
distribution of the glacial drift. 

(Note. — See brief account of geolog>' of Brookline in " The 
History of a Favored Town '"' ; for more detailed study consult 
Prof. Crosby's papers published by Boston Societ}' of Natural 
History.) 

C. The Settlement of Brookline. 

Q. What was the old name of Brookline .'' 

A. Muddy River. 

(2- Why was it so called ? 

A. From the muddy water in the brook flowing through it. 

Q. Where is this stream ? 

A. In the Parkway, on the line between Boston and Brookline. 

Q. Who were the earliest-known inhabitants of Muddy River? 

A. The Indians. 

McMastw.Voi. (It is suggested that at this point the teacher give a graphic 

WaSenVoi. I., description of the place before the days of settlement; the wild 

Chap, if.; woodland; the rank, uncut grass of the meadow-lands ; the marshes. 

Memorial Hist, especially the extent, then, of the Back Bay Fens ; the bears and 

of Boston, wolves ; the rattlesnakes, which were such a pest to Boston ; the 

*^' ■ Indians, their tribal organization, numbers ; old fort in Longwood. 

See History of Norfolk County, pp. 791, 794, 802; Miss Woods' 

Sketches, pp. 204-205.) 

Q. How did the white settlers of Boston gain possession of the 
land? 
History of Nor. A. They bought it from the Indians. 

Q. When is the earliest mention of Muddy River ? 
County, p. 801.' A. In 1632, when Indian sagamores were discovered here. 



Q. What use did the Boston settlers at first make of the Muddy 
River lands ? 

A. They cut timber from the woods for their houses and ships, ?JJ^ Woods' 

History, p. 9 : 

and tney used the meadows as common pastixre-land for their cattle, also, p. u. 

(Note the significance of an early name of Brookline, " Boston 
Commons.") 

Q. Why did the Boston people not obtain timber and pasturage 

in Boston .' History of Nor. 

Q. When was the first settlement made .' Memona?'Hist. 

A. In 1633. ^^^r°'^P- 

Q. Why was it made? giS.p.S" 

A. That the settlers might look after their cattle, which were skl^cheT^'u 
pastured here. 

D. The Separation of Brookline from Boston. 

Q. To what town did Muddy River at first belong J 

A. To Boston. 

Q. Why ? 

Q. When and in what particular did the Muddy River people 
first wish to manage their affairs separately from those of Boston } 

A. In 1686, they asked for a school of their own. History of Nor. 

Q. Why do you suppose they wished it ? °'*° ^' **" 

Q. What answer did Boston make ? 

A. Boston told them that they might choose their own public History of Nor. 
officers, and that they need not pay taxes to the town government °""'>'P-*°2- 
of Boston if they would support a school, keep their roads in repair, 
and take care of their poor people. 

Q. Who had previously done these things ? 

A. Boston. 

Q. Did the Muddy River people agree .'' 

A. Yes. 

Q. Did this arrangement finally satisfy them ? 

A. No. 

Q. Why not? 

A. Because, as the village increased in numbers and new public 
questions arose, they felt it to be both wise and right that they 
should decide such matters for themselves and not leave them to 
the decision of the Boston people. 



lO 

Q. When did Muddy River finally become a separate town ? 

History of Nor. A. In 1 705. 

oun y, p. 05. Q What new name was given it then ? 
History of Nor. A. Brookline. 
County, p. 805. Q Why Brookline? 

A. Probably from the name of Judge Sewall's farm, "Brookline," 
Sewaii's'Diary so Called, doubtless, from Smelt Brook, which bounded it on one 

for June 20,1687. . , 
Mr. Bolton's side. 
History. 

Three Episodes (Here the interest would'be much increased by simple talks upon 
V ^iP'ch' v"- ^^^ ^^^^' occupations and amusements of New England colonial days. 
Houses' p. 680 • Among occupations in Brookline and Boston, note farming, ship- 
Apparei, P.6S4; ]3^^il(jing^ tanning, brick-making (a brick-kiln was established in the 
Occup'^^ p. 687; Brookline clay-bed in 1629, one year before the settlement of 
Chap- ^111-. Boston), the old chocolate mill, the saw-mills. See Miss Woods' 

^eeden,Voi. I., Sketches, pp. 402, etc., etc.) 
pp. 213, 283,222, 

231, 293; Vol. 
11., p. 531. 
A. M. Earle, 
Chaps. 4, 10, 13; 
Memorial Hist, 
of Boston, 
Chap. XVHI. 
The Sagamore, 
Vol.1, and H., 
An Old Diary. 
McMaster, 
Vol. I., p. II. 
The Bay Path. 

See Alfred D. Q. Has the question of re-uniting Boston and Brookline ever 

Chandler's „• 3 

Brookline: A ansen .■" 

Govtrnme^t.^" A. Yes ; within the last twenty years, Boston has tried to annex 
Brookline. 

Q. How does the feeling of Brookline people now compare with 
that in 1 700 ? 

A. • They still believe that they can themselves best manage 
their own affairs. 

(Some scheme for the federation of Boston and the surrounding 
towns and cities into a municipal district, controlling the sewers, 
parkways, and other common interests, will probably be realized 
in the future. The teacher is referred to the Report of Metro- 
politan District Commission.) 



E. The Old Brookline Buildings. 

Q. What stronghold against Indians had the early settlers ? 

A. The old garrison-house on the corner of Walnut and Chestnut See Miss W's 

streets. Sketches.p.zo*. 

(Give a description of this old building, and speak of its import- 
ance in case of Indian outbreak. Locate on map.) 



Q. Where was the first school-house probably located ? c ^ ■ • 

\ r\ 1 . • r-, , , ''ee description 

A. On what is now School street. ' in Miss \v*s 

Q. Where, near by, was a second one afterward built? ^**^ ^'^\ *' 

A. Opposite where the Old High School building now is located. Iklt^pp.^^;. 

-^(Locate on map. Give a description of the building ; the courses See McMaster 
ot study ; school life then ; tell stories in illustration.) p-^i. 

Q. Where was the first school-house built by Brookline people, 
without any help from Boston ? 

A. At the corner of Walnut and Warren streets, near where the See Miss W's 
Unitarian Church now stands, about 1690. sketches,?. 226. 

Q. What was taught in this school ? 

Q. Where did the early inhabitants attend church ? 

A. In Roxbury. 

Q. When was the first meeting-house in Brookline built, and Miss Woods' 

where? .>ketches,p.239. 

A. In 1715, on Walnut street. (Formerly Old Road or old History of Nor. 
Sherburne Road.) County, p. 807. 

(Locate on map. A description might be here given of Puritan Weeden. Chap 
church-going, and something said of the political importance of the iii-.P-72. 
meeting-house. This should be followed by a full description of Miss Woods' 
the Brookline meeting-house. Where did the children sit? How'^^etches,p.239. 
did the minister tell the time ? Tell the story of the dog in church.) Discourse's. 

p. 30. 

r\ 1I7I T^ Essay on Dr. 

Kl. What was the Punch-Bowl tavern ? Pierce's Ad- 

A. The inn at which travelers through Brookline stopped in the Heathof Wash- 

f»arlv rinvt: mgton, by Rus- 

eariy aays. ticus. migh 

Q. When was it built ? -^^''°°' ^°"^^-> 

A. Probably about 1700. 
Q. In what curious manner was it enlarged ? 
A. By joining to the old building, others brought from Boston c „. „„ 

J , , " ° oee Miss W's 

and elsewhere. Sketches, p. is. 



12 

SeeTheChron- Q. Where did it Stand? 

1892, Mud^°y A. Near where the Lyceum building now stands. 
meat ^'"P'^"^^' (Locate. A description of the old Punch-Bowl should be given, 
with some account of its importance as a political and social center.) 
Q. Where were town meetings held in these days ? 
See notes to A. At the meeting-house, or the school-house, or the Punch- 

Brookline in ... ^ 

the Revolution, Bowl tavem, or sometimes at private houses. (See I.) 
Society. " ' (The teacher might give now a description of New England 
^ m' V 1 II colonial houses, both of the handsomer sort and of the farm-houses.) 
Chap. i/. Q. What other old taverns are famous? 

Weeden, Vol. 

1., pp. 2n, 283. A. Erosamon Drew's Huckleberry tavern, built before 1670, (see 

Memorial His., , . . . , -r. . , , , 

Vol. I.. Chap, description.) and Richards tavern. 

XVIII. ,T ^ ^, V 

A.M.Earie, (Locate these.) 

Chap. IV. 

whitefieid's Q- What private house, built in the 17th century, stood until a 

Homes of Our f p,„ vparc ^crn? 
Forefathers. ^^^^ je^VS ago f 

Miss Wood's A. The old Aspinwall house, built in 1660, on Aspinwall avenue. 
388-390, and 189. (Locate.) 

Memorial Hist. Q. What are soiiie of the other historic houses of Brookline ? 
I., p^Li"' ° ' A. The Crafts house, built in 1 709 ; the Downer house (Miss 
Miss Woods' Woods' Sketches, p. 28), built before the Revolution ; the Goddard 
78'*andt52.^^' house, built in 1730 (/^/^/, p. 363) ; the Goddard house, 1761 {I'did, 
Histor of Nor P* 37^^ ' ^^^ Hyslop house {i/>id, p. 296) ; and the Clark house, built 
County, R. 860. about 1715 (td/i/, p. 2 1 7); Dcvotiou house, built before 1675 {idid, 
p. 113). 

(Locate these on map. The teacher will find in Miss Woods' 
Sketches many interesting anecdotes connected with these old 
houses, which will serve to fix them in the pupils' memories.) 

Q. Which of these houses are still standing? 

(If the children can be taken to see some of these old houses, the 
interest will be heightened. Such expeditions are strongly urged, 
both for the above reason and that interest may be aroused for 
preserving historic buildings.) 

Q. What are the most important modern buildings in Brookline ? 



F. The History of Transportation, Routes of TraveL 

Q. What is the route of the famous old Indian trail through 
Brookline ? 



13 

A. It ran from Roxbury to Newton, along the lines of Walnut Miss Woods' 
and Heath streets, Pound and Reservoir lanes. *^ es.p.jos. 

(This should be traced upon an outline map.) 

Q. What especial interest centers about Reservoir lane ? 

A. An old Indian village and burial-place were situated here. 

Q. What traces of these remain ? 

A. Indian relics are often found in the soil thereabouts. 

Q. What anecdote shows the interest felt by the Indians for 
this spot ? 

A. In later days, long after all the Indians had moved away 
from Brookline to the west, they used to return to visit here the 
graves of their relatives. 

Q. What famous man used in the old days to pass along this 
trail ? 

A. John Eliot. 

(The teacher might tell the story of Eliot's life and work ; a walk 
through Reservoir lane, which is especially beautiful, would be 
interesting.) 

Q. When is a road from Boston to Muddy River first mentioned ? 
A. In 1640, when the people of Boston built a bridge across 
Muddy River. 

Q. What was the route of this road ? 

A. Nearly that of the line now followed by the street-cars toSeeTheSara- 

-' ■' more, Vol. II., 

Roxbury Crossing, thence over Norfolk House Hill, and along Sketch of 

T-« T^T 1 • 1 • ITT 1 • Brookline Hist. 

Boston Neck mto what is now Washmgton street. also map in Mr. 

Bolton's Hist. 

(Locate on outline map.) 

Q. How long did this continue to be the only road to Boston ? SeeTheChron- 
A. Until the building of the mill-dam in 1821. 1892, Muddy 

Q. What two other roads were cut later ? ^ent' ^'^^'°'"^ 

A. The Sherburne road, along the old Indian trail leading to ^g^ .p^^ qj,^ 
Newton, and the Cambridge road (along Harvard street) stretching jcie. Aug.^2^0,^ 
up into New Hampshire. ?/°*'d'\'J^- , 

,,.,.. 1 • . ^^- Bolton's 

Q. Of what advantage was Brooklme s situation to her in the map. 
early days ? 

A. Brookline lay on the direct road between Boston and the 
important towns west of Boston, and all the trade between those 
places passed through Brookline. 



iron- 



14 



Q. What effect had this upon the growth of Brookline 



Miss Woods' A. Travelers regularly stopped at the Brookline tavern — the 

Sketches, p. i8. ,, „ , _, , ,, . . , , , . 

"Punch-Bowl — for refreshment, and this tavern augmented the 
growth of the hamlet and caused it to be called the Punch-Bowl 
Village. 

Q. In what part of Brookline was this village ? 

A. Near what is now Village Square. 

Q. Why was the garrison-house built so far from the village } 

Q. What determined the situation of the first church > 
Skltche^'^^'ai ^" ^'^^^ coach routes passed through Brookline .? 

A. The New York mail-stage route and the Uxbridge. 

Earie'sCust'nis (A description of journeys by coach a century ago might here be 
oid^lw E^ni"^^^"^' especially a description of the old coach road from Boston 
Chap. VIII. ■' to New York, with an account of the length, inconvenience and 
VoM^^p"^'^ danger of the journey. A comparison with the trip as made at 
M me." KnigTit's present would be interesting.) 

Journey toNew 

LAving^Allt ^- What was the first public conveyance between Brookline and 

June 26, 1858. Boston ? 

i^tS^'21 ^- Mr. Spurr's coach in 1816. 

Q. How often was the trip made } 

A, Twice a day. 

Q. Why did this enterprise fail } 

A. Because Brookline people — even women — preferred to walk 
to Boston rather than pay twenty-five cents each way for the ride. 

Q. What important turnpike was laid out in the early part of 
this century ? 

See Letter of 

Rebecca Boyi- A. 1 he Worcester turnpike, which ran through Brookline. 

Miss Woods' Q. How docs the use made of these roads now differ from that 

MnSo'n'f'- of a century ago .^ 
map. Q -^hyp 

Q. When was the railroad to Brookline opened ? 
A. On April lo, 1848. 

(Give as vivid a description of the opening of this road as possi- 
ble, and explain the importance of steam transportation.) 

See Alfred D. Q. When was the Beacon street electric line constructed.? 
Study in'^ Town A. At the time of the widening of Beacon street in 1886-87. 
pp^79i^94^' ^" W^^t two parks, or driveways, have been made by Brookline 
in recent times ? 



IS 

A. The Beacon-street Parkway and the Riverdale Park, the 
latter made in conjunction with Boston. 

(The teacher should say something of the importance to Brook- 
line of such driveways, and of the far-sightedness and public spirit 
which caused them to be made.) 



G, Slavery in Brookline. 

(A simple introductory talk upon slavery in New England, con- Weeden's Eco- 
trasting the conditions of northern and southern slave-life, and "fiX'r^VoL*' 
stating the economic reasons therefor, would be interesting:.) H-, Chap.xii. 

^ ' A. M. Earle's 

Q. Were slaves kept in Brookline ? Customs and 

. ,^ Manners, 

A. Yes. Chap. III. 

Q. How were they employed ? 
A, As household servants, for the most part. 

Q. What Brookline man was well known as an abolitionist .'' ^ee Miss Ws 
A. Mr. Samuel Philbrick was prominent in the anti-slavery 269 and 274.^' 
cause about 1836. 

(A sketch of Mr. Philbrick's life-work would be interesting. Note 
the treatment he received from his fellow townsmen. Stories and 
anecdotes of slaves held in Brookline should be told here, especially 
of Sambo (see Miss Woods' Sketches, pp. 43-45), and Mr. Heath's 
slaves {ibid, p. 320). An original deed of sale of a slave in 1752 may 
be seen at the library.) 



H. Brookline in the Wars. 

Brookline in the Revolution. 

See Brookline 

Q. What is the first record of dissatisfaction in Brookline with 'P the Kevoiu- 

, T^ ,. , , , 1 ■ ^ tion.byMar- 

the English government of the colonies ? saret May, Br. 

A. When, in 1768, Brookline sent a delegate to a convention in 
Faneuil Hall to discuss the grievances of the Province. 

Q. What was her next step ? 

A. In 1772, she in town meeting appointed a "Committee of History of Nor 
Correspondence " with Boston and other towns. County. 

(Explain the term.) 

Q. What did Brookline do when the tax was laid on tea } 

A. Forbade the importation of tea. 



i6 

Q. When did Brookline first commence military preparations ? 
A. In September, 1774. 

(This section pre-supposes a general knowledge of the war. Fre- 
quent talks on the situation in Boston, the bitterness of feeling 
among the colonists, the danger incurred by Brookline citizens in 
their attitude of open opposition, their defenceless situation, etc., 
will make the record more vivid.) 

Q. What Brookline names are famous in connection with the 
Revolution ? 

A. John Goddard, Isaac Gardner, Col. Thomas Aspinwall, Dr. 
Aspinwall, Dr. Downer, Lieut.-Col. Wesson. 
Q. What do we know of Isaac Gardner? 
First Harvard A. At the head of a small command, he met the British during 
m^the^Revolu- their retreat from Lexington and was killed ; he was thus the first 
*'°"- Brookline hero and martyr of the war. 

N. E. Mag., (A description of Isaac Gardner and his work would be appro- 

March, 1895. priate here.) 

Q. How was John Goddard connected with the war ? 
Miss Woods' ^- He was conductor of stores for the American army, and later 
^b'-*!?^*' ^^ wagon-master-general. 

Brookline in (Tell the story of the stores which Mr. Goddard carried to 
the Revolution, Concord, and the one of the fortification of Dorchester Heights.) 

pp. 17 and 24. 

Q. Why is Col. Thomas Aspinwall noted ? 
A. Because of the forces he commanded on April 19, 1775. 
Brookline in Q. What Can you Say of Col. Wesson ? 

the Revolution, ^ •'_■'_ 

pp. 27, 28, 2z- A. He was the highest officer in command sent by Brookline to 

the war. 
Brookline in Q. What positions Were held by Dr. Aspinwall and Dr. Downer ? 
^^.SS. A. They were both army surgeons, 
^unt'yp^.^"^ Q' Name some of the prominent tories in Brookline. 

A. Henry Hulton, counsellor for the British government ; a Mr, 
Jackson, who lived where the library now stands; and Samuel 
Sewall, who owned land in Brookline. 
Q. What treatment did they receive from their neighbors ? 
A. Mr. Jackson found life in Brookline so unpleasant that he 
sold his house and left town ; Mr. Sewall fled to England, and his 
property was confiscated by the government ; the windows of Mr. 
Hulton's house were broken by Brookline boys, and he finally left 
town also. 



His. Pub. Soc. 



17 

Q. What connection had Brookline with the battle of Lexington ? 

A. Lord Percy, at the head of one thousand men, marched See Brookline 
through Brookline on his way to Lexington ; also, Brookline tion, pp. 18-22. 
responded with three companies to the Lexington alarm. 

(Outline these marches on map. A detailed description of Brook- 
line's experiences on April 19th would be interesting.) 

Q. What outpost of defence had Brookline ? 

A. Brookline Fort at Sewall's Point on the Charles. Early Notices 

. of Local 

Q. Was this fort ever attacked .-' ?tY^"*^- 

A. It was once fired upon by a British floating battery, but 
repelled the attack. 

Q. When did Brookline first declare for independence from 
England } 

A. On May 20, 1776, a month and a half before the signing of 
the Declaration of Independence. 

Q. Did Brookline take any other part in the war ? 

A. She sent a large number of soldiers in the different years. 

Brookline in the Civil War. 
O. What effect upon Brookline was produced by the news of See Katharine 

r- ./ j^^ Briegs 

the attack on Fort Sumter? Brookimeinthe 

Q. What war measures were immediately undertaken by the pub. society. 

town ? 

A. A military commission was appointed to take charge of war j. ^^^^^ ^^^^ 

preparations ; military companies were organized ; taxes levied to ^"^-fj^/^jj^- 

start a town fund ; two private subscription lists were opened, and Pub. Society. 

relief work undertaken by the women. 

Q. Who was the first man from Brookline to enlist ? Miss Woods' 

A. William D. Goddard. 4o^!S'''^^- 

Q. What Brookline man was influential in organizing the Second 

Massachusetts Regiment. 

A. Wilder Dwight. 7^1^'^^ t^^^-, 

° . Letters of Wil- 

Q. What commission did he receive ? der Dwight. 

A. That of major. 

O. Who was captain of the first Brookline company? Memoirof Gen. 

E. A. VVilu. 
A. Edward A. Wild. Kenn'ard's Ad- 

Q. Where did this company drill ? "^^^ °" 

A. In the Guild Block, corner of Boylston and Washington 
streets. 



iS 

Q. Where out-of-doors were the Brookline companies generally 
drilled ? 

A. On the open gp"ound near the Police Station. 

Q. What boys' company was formed ? 

A. "The Ritles," who gave exhibition drills all over the state. 

Q. What addition to the school course was made at this time .'' 

A. Military drill was introduced. 

Q. Who was the first Brookline man to fall in the war ? 

A. Herbert S. Barlow. 

Q. How many men were furnished by Brookline .'' 

A. Seven hundred and twenty men, thirty-four commissioned 
officers. 

Q. How many more than the number required of her .-■ 

A. One hundred and thirty-five. 

BrookHne in Q* How many Brookline men were killed in the war .? 

the Civil War, A. Seventy-two. 

Q. Who was the most prominent Brookline man in the war? 

County, p. 876^' A. Brigadier-General Edward A. Wild. 

„ , ,. . (The teacher will find sketches of the prominent Brookline men 

the Civil War, in the notes at the end of Miss Briggs's essay. It is suggested that 

pp. 18, 20, 30. descriptions be given of the work done by the women of Brookline ; 

of the preparation of supplies upon receipt of the news of the 

Union defeat at the second battle of Bull Run, and of the rejoicing 

at the close of the war.) 

I. Government. 

Q. In what state is Brookline ? In what county ? 

(Note the peculiar form of the county. Give the reason.) 

Q. In what senatorial district is Brookline ? In what congres- 
sional district ? In what councillor district ? 

Q. Who is the present Congressman ? The State Senator ? The 
Representative to the General Court ? 

Q. What form of government has Brookline ? 

A. A town government. 

Q. What is a town ? 
Martin, p. 203. A. A town is (i) a collection of people (2) who occupy a definite 
portion of territory and (3) directly govern themselves, so far as the 
state allows them to do so. 



19 

Q. What name is given to the laws which a town makes ? 
A. By-laws. 

(Explain the origin of the term. Fiske, p. 31.) 

Q. How are these laws made ? 

A. By the citizens of the town, assembled in town meeting-. ^ , ,- • 

. Where are Brookline town meetmgs held ? the Revolution, 

Q. Where were they held in early days .? &'is^4, p. 19. 

(See E.) 

Q. When was the first Brookline town meeting held, and for History of Nor. 

what purpose .-^ County. 

Q. How often are town meetings held ? 

. " Martin, p. 204. 

A. At least once a year. 

Q. How many did Brookline hold last year > an .p.? 7 

Q. How does this number compare with the record a century 
ago.? 

Q. Does any business come before town meetings besides the 
making of by-laws } 

A. (i) Town officers are elected ; (2) the amount of money to be 
spent by the town is decided upon ; (3) general town affairs are 
discussed. 

(Teachers might with profit take pupils to town meetings and let 
them observe the proceedings.) 

Q. What town officers aie elected in Brookline ? Brookline 

Q. By what system are they elected ? ^'°*" Report. 

Q. For how long a term is each elected ? 

Q. Who are the most important town officers ? 

A. The five Selectmen. 

Q- Why .? 

"" ■' Martin, p. 205. 

A. Because they have the general management of town affairs. 

Q. What duty have they in connection with town meetings ? 

A. They call th^ meetings by means of a warrant. 

Q. What is a warrant? Martin. p. 204. 

A. A document instructing one of the constables to call together 
the voters of the town and stating the business for which the meet- 
ing is called. 

Q. What steps does a citizen take to have any particular item of 
business introduced into the warrant > 



Q. How does the constable notify the voters ? 

(The pupils should be encouraged to bring to class, specimens of 
warrants, ballots, etc.) 

Q. What is the duty of the town clerk ? 

Q. What does the treasurer do ? 

Q, What is the duty of the constables ? Assessors ? Other 
officers named above ? 

Q. Who fill these positions in Brookline at present ? 
Town Report. Q- Has Brookline more or fewer officers than the average town ? 
Fiske, pp. 2CK24 Q- What docs this indicate ? 

Q. Name some Brookline town officers who are appointed instead 
of elected. 

Q. Why appointed.'' 

(The teacher might well at this point draw some comparison 
between the town government and the state and national govern- 
ments. Point out in each case the three departments of govern- 
ment, i. e. legislative, executive, judicial. Show why some officers 
are appointed and others elected. Say something of the educa- 
tional value of the town meeting and of town office holding.) 



Town Report. 



Chandler. 



Town Report, 
p. i66. 

Chandler, p. 794 



Q. Which of the town officers receive salaries ? Why ? 

Q. What compensation have the others ? 

Q. For what objects does the town spend money ? 

(This point should be discussed and important public works 
noted. The chief improvements made during the last ten years 
should be especially pointed out. Also note that Brookline was the 
first town in the country to establish by town appropriation a 
public library and an " all-the-year-round municipal bath-house.") 

Q. Mention three objects for which more than $50,000 was 
appropriated by Brookline last year. 

Q. What was the total sum spent by the town last year ? 

Q. Where does the town obtain the money spent in this way ? 

Q. What is the present rate of taxation ? 

Q. What was it a year ago .■* Five years ago ? Ten ? Twenty ? 

Q. Is it becoming higher or lower ? 

Q. How do the expenses of Brookline now compare with those 
of ten years ago ? Twenty years ago .'' Forty years ago ? 

Q. What conclusion do you draw from these facts ? 



21 

(Here let a general comparison be made with Brookline, one 
hundred and two hundred years ago, showing the increase in ex- 
penditures and in general wealth and comfort. Make any other 
comparisons that will help to give color and meaning to these 
figures. How does the wealth of Brookline compare with that of 
other towns in the United States ? How do its receipts and 
expenditures compare with those of the state of New Hampshire ? 
How does its state tax compare with that of other Massachusetts 
towns ? See Alfred D. Chandler's article, p. 779. Is Brookline's 
wealth of benefit to the town as a whole, or only to individuals?) 

Q. What share of the county expenses is borne by Brookline ? Town Report. 

A. One-third or more. 

Q. What is the amount of the town's debt ? 

Q. Why does the town borrow money ? 

Q. Is there any limit to the amount that the town may borrow ? 

Q. What does it mean to bond the town ? 

Q. For how long a time may these bonds run ? 

Q. How large a population must a town have in order to 
become a city ? 

A. 12,000. 

Q. Has Brookline a large enough population to form a city ? 

Q. From whom does a town receive authority to become a city ? 

A. From the State Legislature. Martin, p. 214. 

Q. What is the chief difference between a town and a city 
government ? 

A. In a town the legislative power rests with the whole body of 
voters assembled in town meeting ; in a city it rests with the City 
Council, which merely represents the citizens at large. 

(The distinction between a collective assembly and a representa- piskg, p. g,. 
five assembly should be clearly brought out.) 

Q. How are the members of the city council chosen .? 

A. They are elected by the citizens. 

Q. What reasons are there for changing from a town to a city 
form of government ? 

A. The number of voters and the fact that there is so much 
business to be done, that the average voter has neither the 
necessary time nor knowledge to attend to it. 

Q. What disadvantages are connected with the cit)'- form of 
government ? 

Q. What problem is Brookline trying to solve ? 



Chandler. 



22 

A. She is managing the affairs of a city community by means of 
a town government. 
Q. What is enabUng her to succeed ? 
A. (i) The high average intelligence of Brookline citizens. 

(2) Their interest and pride in the town; 

(3) Their willingness to devote time and money to the welfare 

of the town. 
(The importance of these elements in the success of the 
town should be dwelt upon at length.) 

(4) The wisdom with which work has been divided up among 

different officers and committees. 
(Explain the function of the " Committee of Twenty.") 

(5) The completeness of the town report. 

(The unique character of this report, and the interest felt 
in it by students of political science throughout the 
country, should be explained.) 

(6) The thorough-going methods adopted to acquaint citizens 

with the business of prospective town meetings. 
(Note the general circulation of copies of the warrants, 
the printed notes upon the business mentioned in the 
warrants, etc.) 

(7) Non-partisanship in town elections. 

(The importance of this consideration cannot be too 
strongly emphasized. Integrity, business ability, ex- 
perience, not party affiliation, are the qualifications for 
office. Discuss at this point the general subject of 
civil service reform.) 

Q. What advantages is Brookline gaining from this course ? 
Q. What dangers menace the town government.'' 
A. (i) Ignorance on the part of new-comers, with regard to the 
town policy and traditions. 

(2) The possible indifference of citizens. 

(3) Consequent neglect of town meetings. 

(4) The introduction of "machine politics." 

Q. What is at present the voting population of the town ? 
Q. What was the average attendance at the town meetings last 
year ? 



23 

SPECIAL TOPICS. 

Below are given a few subjects for special investigation. This 
list may be indefinitely extended by the teacher. 

a. Names and History of Prominent Brookline Citizens, e. g. 

Dr. Boylston, Dr. Pierce, Edward Devotion, etc. 

b. Histories of Brookline Families still Occupying the Ancestral 

Estates. 

c. Origin and Significance of Town Names, /. e. of Streets, Dis- 

tricts, Schools, etc. 

d. Unique Features of the Brookline Town Government. 

e. Poor Relief in Brookline. 

/. A Study of Highways ; their Laws, History, etc. 

g. The School System of Brookline. 

h. The Financial Management of the Town of Brookline. 

/. Changes in the Physical Features of Brookline. 

J. The Brookline Town Meeting. 

k. The Police Department, etc., etc. 



GENERAL REFERENCES. 



1. Memorial History of Boston, by Justin Winsor. R. L. 

2. Judge Sewall's Diary. 617.5 

3. Weeden's Economic and Social History of New England. 663.12 

4. McMaster's History of the People of the United States. 653.7 

5. Three Episodes of Massachusetts History, by Charles 

Francis Adams. 668.3 

6. Customs and Fashions in Old New England, by Alice Morse 

Earle. 663.17 

7. Boston Town, by Horace Scudder. 1075. i 

8. Naomi, or Boston Two Hundred Years Ago, by Eliza Buck- 

minster Lee. L507.2 

9. The Bay Path, by J. G. Holland. 

10. Civil Government in the United States, by George H. Martin. 

11. Civil Government in the United States, by John Fiske. 1317-51 

12. The Ice Age in North America, by G. Frederick Wright. 2435.24 

13. Guide to Geology, by Prof. W. O. Crosby. 

14. The Manual of Geology, by J. D. Dana. 2437.1 

15. Ice-Work, Present and Past, by T. G. Bonney. 2435.30 

16. The Forms of Water, by Prof. J. Tyndall. 2449.3 

17. Volcanoes, by Prof. J. W. Judd. 2449.2 

18. Massachusetts Year Book. R. L. 

19. The Home of Our Forefathers, by E. Whitefield (Volumes of 

illustrations.) 668.18 

20. Report of the Metropolitan District Commission, 1896. 



24 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

1. Historical Sketches of Brookline, by Miss H. F. Woods. 674.9B4 

2. Brookline : the History of a Favored Town, by C. K. Bolton. 

(In preparation.) 

3. Brookline: in History of Norfolk County. R. L. 

4. Historical Sketch of Brookline in Collections of the Massachusetts 

Historical Society. Second series, vol. 2. 617.2 

5. Discourse delivered Nov. 24, 1805, by Dr. John Pierce. i774-i4 

6. Inaugural Address, by Hon. Rob't C. Winthrop, in Dedication of 

the Town Hall, 1873. 674.9B2 

7. Dr. Pierce's Address at the Opening of the Town Hall, 1845. 

8. Baptist Church Centennial Celebration. Address by Rev. H. C. 

Mabie. 674.9B7 

9. Recollections of Brookline, 1800-1810, by S. A. Goddard. B. R. 3.1 

10. The Sagamore, Vols. I. and II. 

1 1 . Brookline : a Study in Town Government, by A.D. Chandler. 674.9B1 

12. Town Reports. 

13. First Harvard Graduate Killed in the Revolution, by C. K. Bolton, 

New England Magazine, March, 1895. 

14. Publications of the Brookline Historical Publication Society : — 

Early Notices of Local Events. 

Brookline in the Revolution, by Margaret E. May. 

Letter by Rebecca Boylston. 

Letter by Brigadier-General Edward A. Wild. 

History of the Lyceum Movement in Brookline, by Grace E. 

Mathews. X^ 
Brookline in the Civil War, by Katherine R. Briggs. V 
First Parish Records. 

15. The Life and Letters of Wilder Dwight. 867.11 A 

16. Memoir of Gen. Edward Augustus Wild, by B. Kingman. B. R. 4.3 

17. Address on General Wild, by Martin P. Kennard. B. R. 4.3 

18. History of the Beacon Street Improvement. (See pamphlets in 

Public Library.) 

19. A Collection of Photographic Views of Local Points, to be found at 

the Public Library. 

20. The Brookline Chronicle : — 

August 8, 1 89 1, Route of Brookline Soldiers. 

September 5, 1891, Old Brookline, by A. W. Goddard. 

July 30, 1892, Muddy River Improvement, by Mabel W. Lane.-< 

August 6, 1892, Brookline Water Supply, by Joseph Driscoll.^ 

August 13, 1892, Brookline Public Library, by Mary Sanborn.^ 

August 20, 1892, Roads in Brookline, by James M. DriscoU. -V- 

April 6, 1895, The Brookline Town Meeting, by A. D. Chandler. 

21. Index on Brookline in the Revolution, by Miss Ellen Chase. 

Public Library. 

22. Dr. Aspinwall's Journal. Boston Transcript, June 15, 1857. 

23. F. S. Drake's History of Roxbury. 

24. Civil War. Littell's Living Age, Sept. 27, 1862. 



\ jJr.jXZ^ -A >^^ 



JjIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

014 077 306 2 < 



